Modelling of Installation Effects: A Numerical Approach

Numerical Modelling of Various Aspects of Pipe Pile Static Load Test

“…Software based on the FEM is widely available, frequently used for the calculation of various geotechnical issues, and relatively computationally undemanding. Numerical modelling without installation effects can only be reliable for drilled (bored) piles, as this pile installation method has the least influence on in situ soil conditions [5]. Simulations carried out by Wehnert and Vermeer [32] in PLAXIS for drilled piles in clay showed a significant influence of the interface layer on the results and proved that in comparison to Soft Soil and Coulomb-Mohr models, the Hardening Soil model allows for a better representation of During each test, the load was applied using the hydraulic jack and the displacements were measured by means of displacement sensors and surveying methods.…”

“…Bored piles, despite large piling rigs, do not cause as many problems to the soil and to the neighbourhood, in terms of dynamic effects, compared to hammer driving or vibratory driving. The pile and soil behaviour during installation require thorough experimental investigation [5,6] and the influence of these phenomena on the soil parameters, the stresses around the pile, and consequently the bearing capacity is crucial. For this reason, in some cases, it is not possible to determine the pile-bearing capacity with an accuracy of more than 30% [7].…”

“…An alternative solution is application of the Discrete Element Method. It allows for a more realistic modelling of soil behaviour by mapping the work of soil particles, including their movement and crushing [5,15,16]. The application of the above-mentioned methods produces promising results in avoiding mesh deformations; however, their implementation in standard FE code can be difficult.…”